Brazil has long been a powerhouse in the world of mixed martial arts, producing some of the most legendary and dominant athletes in UFC history.
From world-class grapplers to explosive strikers, Brazilian UFC fighters have left an indelible mark on the octagon with their unique blend of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, and fearless fighting spirit. In this article, we dive into the Top 10 Best Brazilian UFC Fighters of all time.
These icons have not only claimed championship belts but also helped shape the global legacy of the UFC.
Whether you’re a die-hard MMA fan or a newcomer to the sport, this list showcases the elite warriors who carried Brazil’s fighting tradition to the pinnacle of the UFC.
10. Mauricio Rua
Shogun, whose real name is Maurício Milani Rua, is a professional mixed martial artist from Brazil. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest fighters in the history of the light heavyweight division. The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lists him as a Light Heavyweight competitor. Rua held the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship in 2010 after defeating Lyoto Machida.
Rua began his professional MMA career in 2002. He won the PRIDE Middleweight Grand Prix in 2005, defeating notable fighters such as Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Ricardo Arona, and Alistair Overeem.
Before the dissolution of PRIDE FC in 2007, Rua continued to compete at a high level and had impressive victories, including a famous win over Kevin Randleman.
During his prime in PRIDE, and for a period afterward, Shogun Rua was considered by many to be the top light heavyweight fighter in the world.
However, the statement that he was “nearly universally regarded as the greatest light heavyweight fighter in the history of the world” is an overstatement.
While he was highly rated and widely respected, especially after his PRIDE Grand Prix win, MMA historians and analysts typically consider other fighters (such as Jon Jones or Chuck Liddell) as contenders for the title of greatest light heavyweight of all time.
9. Wanderlei Silva
Wanderlei Silva is a legendary mixed martial artist known for his aggressive fighting style.
Throughout his illustrious career, Silva competed in a total of 51 professional MMA fights (as of his retirement, though some sources may vary slightly due to discrepancies in fight records). He won 35 of these fights, with 27 of those victories coming by knockout or technical knockout.
A significant portion of Silva’s legacy was established during his time with PRIDE FC, where he became one of the most feared competitors in the sport. After his tenure in PRIDE, Silva transitioned to the UFC, where he continued to face top-level competition.
In the UFC, Silva earned five “Fight of the Night” bonuses and one “Knockout of the Night” bonus. He engaged in memorable battles against elite fighters such as Rich Franklin, Cung Le, and Brian Stann.
8. Fabricio Werdum
Fabricio Werdum is far more than just an athlete who has built his reputation on longevity. He is widely regarded as one of the most accomplished heavyweights in mixed martial arts (MMA) history, with victories at the highest levels in multiple organizations. Werdum’s legacy is secured not only by his longevity but also by his technical skill and high-profile wins.
Werdum is particularly known for his expertise in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), where he is a black belt and has achieved world-class success. He is also skilled in Muay Thai and holds a black belt in Judo (note: while he is known for his grappling and striking, the claim that he has a black belt in both Muay Thai and Judo is not entirely accurate—Werdum is indeed a black belt in BJJ and highly proficient in Muay Thai, but there is no widely documented black belt in Judo for him; some sources may refer to his brown belt in Judo or his extensive grappling background).
Werdum has competed in several major MMA promotions, including PRIDE, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Strikeforce, and Jungle Fight. He became the UFC Heavyweight Champion and also achieved notable victories in other organizations.
In grappling, Werdum is a European Jiu-Jitsu Champion and a two-time Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC) World Heavyweight Champion (2007 and 2009). These accomplishments firmly establish him as one of the greatest heavyweight grapplers and mixed martial artists of all time.
7. Junior Dos Santos
Junior dos Santos is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion who remains one of the most accomplished heavyweights in MMA history. As of his most recent fights, his professional MMA record is 23 wins and 10 losses (with some sources listing 22 or 21 wins due to different databases and recent bareknuckle bouts).
He has not made appearances for AEW (All Elite Wrestling), as he has continued to compete in MMA and bareknuckle MMA organizations such as Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA, where he recently became the inaugural heavyweight champion.
During his prime, dos Santos was a dominant force in the heavyweight division. He did not lose all four of his most recent UFC fights via technical knockout; while he did suffer several TKO losses near the end of his UFC tenure, his overall recent record includes both UFC and post-UFC bouts. For example, he lost four UFC fights in a row by TKO/KO (to Francis Ngannou, Curtis Blaydes, Jairzinho Rozenstruik, and Ciryl Gane), but later competed and won outside the UFC.
Dos Santos has engaged in classic battles against all-time great heavyweights such as Alistair Overeem and Stipe Miocic. He lost to Overeem by TKO in 2015 and split results with Miocic—winning a decision in 2014 and losing by TKO in 2017.
He did not win most of his fights against other all-time greats, but he did have notable victories over several top-ranked opponents.
At one point in his career, dos Santos went on a legendary winning streak of nine consecutive UFC fights, which remains the longest in UFC heavyweight history. This streak included victories over top contenders such as Cain Velasquez, Frank Mir, and Roy Nelson.
6. Lyoto Machida
Lyoto Machida, often referred to as “The Dragon,” is renowned for his unorthodox karate-based fighting style, which contributed to many impressive victories inside the UFC Octagon. He boasts an enviable résumé, including victories over several former UFC champions and notable opponents. However, while he has defeated prominent fighters such as Rashad Evans, Randy Couture, Vitor Belfort, and Dan Henderson, the claim that he has beaten six former UFC champions and four UFC Hall of Famers is not entirely accurate—depending on how one counts interim titles and Hall of Fame status, the number may be close, but not definitively so. For example, Machida beat Evans (champion), Couture (champion and Hall of Famer), Belfort (champion and Hall of Famer), and Henderson (champion and Hall of Famer), but not all of these are universally recognized as four separate Hall of Famers in the current UFC Hall of Fame listings.
Machida entered the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 2007 with a strong record, but his notable victories before the UFC did not include Stephan Bonnar or BJ Penn. He did, however, quickly establish himself as a top contender in the light heavyweight division after joining the UFC.
Machida has earned multiple UFC performance bonuses, including “Knockout of the Night” awards. While he has had several memorable knockouts, the specific claim that he currently holds “Knockout of the Night titles, which he has won four times,” is not accurate. The UFC has not awarded Machida four official “Knockout of the Night” bonuses; he has received several performance bonuses throughout his career, but the number and specifics vary.
5. José Aldo
José Aldo is a former two-time UFC Featherweight Champion and is widely regarded as one of the greatest Brazilian fighters in UFC history. While he is among the very best, claiming he is definitively the “finest Brazilian fighter in the history of the UFC” is subjective, as other Brazilian legends such as Anderson Silva and Amanda Nunes have strong cases for that title as well.
During the peak of his career, Aldo went on an incredible 18-fight winning streak, which included victories in both the World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) and the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). When the WEC was absorbed by the UFC in 2010, Aldo’s WEC Featherweight Championship was recognized as the inaugural UFC Featherweight Championship.
Aldo’s first seven UFC bouts were all title fights, but not all were title defenses—his UFC debut was a unification bout against Mark Hominick, which was not technically a title defense of the UFC belt since it was the first UFC featherweight title fight. He then successfully defended the UFC Featherweight Championship six times before losing to Conor McGregor at UFC 194.
The caliber of Aldo’s opponents was exceptionally high throughout his reign. He faced and defeated top contenders and former champions from multiple generations, including Chad Mendes (twice), Frankie Edgar, Kenny Florian, and Urijah Faber (in WEC), among others. His victories cemented his legacy as one of the most dominant champions in MMA history.
4. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
Minotauro, also known as Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira, is a legendary former Pride Heavyweight Champion and a former UFC interim heavyweight champion. He is also a member of the UFC Hall of Fame, recognized for his remarkable career and contributions to the sport.
Nogueira had a storied MMA career, competing in a total of 47 professional fights according to most official records. He made his UFC debut in 2007 and remained with the organization until 2015, spanning approximately eight years and further cementing his status as an MMA icon.
Throughout his career, Nogueira was known for his incredible durability and legendary chin. While he did suffer several knockout losses, it is not accurate to say he only suffered three knockout defeats in his heavyweight bouts. In reality, he was knocked out (or suffered TKO losses) more than three times, notably by Frank Mir, Cain Velasquez, and Roy Nelson in the UFC, plus additional losses in PRIDE and other organizations when considering his entire career. However, he was renowned for his ability to absorb punishment and still remain competitive.
Nogueira’s success was also attributed to his exceptional grappling skills, particularly his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, for which he is a black belt—and his ability to control and submit opponents. While his strength and ability to take down opponents were factors, it was his world-class submission game and technique that most often allowed him to overpower and finish his adversaries inside the Octagon and beyond.
3. Royce Gracie
Royce Gracie, a true pioneer and the first UFC champion, is widely credited with revolutionizing the world’s understanding of what constitutes effective fighting. He introduced the global audience to the effectiveness of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu) by demonstrating that a smaller, less physically imposing individual could defeat much larger opponents through superior technique—specifically by taking the fight to the ground and securing submissions such as chokes and joint locks.
While Royce was instrumental in popularizing terms and techniques like the guard, the rear-naked choke, and the armbar in the context of mixed martial arts (MMA), he did not invent these terms or techniques; rather, he and his family adapted and refined them from traditional judo and Japanese jiu-jitsu. However, Royce was among the first to use these techniques successfully in the UFC, thereby making them famous in the MMA world.
It is fair to argue that Royce Gracie is one of the most influential martial artists in the history of combat sports, though calling him “the most influential martial artist in art history” is an overstatement—martial arts history is vast and includes many influential figures across different disciplines.
Regarding his UFC record, Royce Gracie won three UFC tournaments (UFC 1, UFC 2, and UFC 4), and he finished his initial UFC run undefeated in the organization, with all of his early UFC victories coming by submission. However, his official UFC record is not 11 wins—he actually went 11-0-1 in professional MMA overall at the time of his initial retirement from the sport, but his official UFC tournament record is 11 wins only if counting all his tournament bouts, and even then, some sources may differ. In the UFC’s tournament format, he had multiple fights in a single night, but his official UFC record is generally listed as 3 tournament wins and a total of 11 wins in those tournaments.
2. Vitor Belfort
Vitor Belfort (full name Vitor Vieira Belfort) is a renowned Brazilian mixed martial artist who has competed across multiple weight classes throughout his career. Belfort has fought in the Heavyweight, Light Heavyweight, and Middleweight divisions in organizations such as the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he became a fan favorite for his explosive striking and knockout power.
Belfort is a former UFC 12 Heavyweight Tournament winner and a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. He also held the Cage Rage World Light Heavyweight Championship at one point in his career. After his tenure in the UFC, Belfort signed with Bellator MMA, where he continued to compete in the heavyweight division.
Known for his devastating knockout ability, Belfort is tied for third place in UFC history for most finishes, with 14 finishes (knockouts and submissions) inside the Octagon. This places him among the most prolific finishers in the promotion’s history.
1. Anderson Silva
Anderson Silva is widely regarded as one of the most accomplished Brazilian fighters in UFC history, as well as one of the greatest UFC fighters of all time. His legendary status is underscored by several remarkable records: Silva holds the record for the longest title reign in UFC history 2,457 days as UFC Middleweight Champion), and he also boasts the longest win streak in UFC history (16 consecutive victories in the Octagon).
Silva, known as “The Spider,” was renowned for his exceptional counter-striking skills, outstanding timing, and striking accuracy. He was a master of controlling distance and had a diverse arsenal of striking techniques. Silva’s ability to remain calm and composed in the cage, combined with his unshakeable confidence, contributed to the perception of invincibility during his prime.
While Silva is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) and Tae Kwon Do, there is no widely documented evidence that he holds a black belt in Judo. However, he has demonstrated significant grappling and submission skills throughout his career, making him a highly versatile martial artist.
Brazil’s legacy in mixed martial arts is unmatched, producing some of the most legendary champions and innovative fighters in UFC and MMA history.
From the pioneering days of Royce Gracie introducing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to the world, to Anderson Silva’s record-breaking middleweight reign and Amanda Nunes’ dominance in multiple weight classes, Brazilian fighters have consistently set the standard for excellence in the sport.
Names like José Aldo, Vitor Belfort, Lyoto Machida, and Fabricio Werdum further highlight the depth and diversity of talent emerging from Brazil’s vibrant MMA scene. Whether through striking mastery, ground game supremacy, or sheer knockout power, these icons have shaped the evolution of MMA and continue to inspire future generations of Brazilian athletes.
The Top 10 Brazilian MMA fighters not only represent the pinnacle of combat sports success but also embody the spirit, skill, and passion that make Brazil a true powerhouse in the global MMA community.